Domino
by OnyxRose13
Summary: The fall of Bellatrix Black and what it means for her once revered family. Written for The Ultimate Death Eater Competition of the HPFC forum.


_**A look at the tragedy of the decent and incarceration of Bellatrix Lestrange. Written for The Ultimate Death Eater Competition on the HPFC forum.**_

_**I do not own Harry Potter.**_

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Call him overly sentimental, no matter what she had done or how old she was it was hard to see his daughter this way.

Cygnus Black eyed the dirty, repulsively thin _thing_ on the floor of the cell with an odd mix of pity and disdain, struggling to reconcile the ugly picture before him with the image of indomitable, lovely, Bellatrix in his mind.

Beside him Druella cleared her throat and the girl in the cell deigned to spare a glance for her mother. She did not speak, nor did any manner of emotion pass over her pretty, if rather wasted, face. No reaction was given, not even for the parents she had shamed. After a moment her eyes returned to the wall opposite her and though the long minutes dragged by their presence went unacknowledged.

Finally it seemed that Druella could not stand it and she called, "Hello", in a tight, thin voice.

Still she did not turn but her cracked mouth moved and she croaked "Hello mother", though by the tone of her voice she could very easily have been addressing any stranger.

Cygnus could easily have slapped her right then, but it would have so upset his wife and he was not willing to subject her to that.

It was not as if she had ever been terribly close with their eldest child. On the contrary Druella seemed to resent her deeply. She often called Bellatrix selfish and thick headed and complained constantly about her lack of propriety and feminine decorum. Whenever Cygnus would point out her high marks in school or how precocious she was Druella would huff impatiently as if he had said the most foolish thing in the world and say "Yes, all very admirable qualities-if she were a son".

Cygnus had to agree, Bellatrix was the heir they should have had, the one the House of Black deserved. She was more clever than his sister's younger son and more powerful than the elder, most beloved grandchild of Pollux who doted on her though he would never pardon her for the fault of being female. So Cousin Orion and his ambition-less boys would inherit the main branch no matter the heights his willful child could have taken them to.

But of course that was all before He came.

Many years had passed since the five children of their bloodline were examined with a critical eye for the leader amongst them. Orion's younger son had died, as much a victim of the wicked viper that had wormed it's way into their midsts as Cygnus's own daughter was (though in vastly different ways). Only a year later the other brother, Sirius had become a traitor to them, followed closely by foolish little Andromeda.

By and by it was only Bellatrix and Narcissa left, though in truth they had always been the most shining examples of their heritage. Cissy had been no more than sixteen at the time and suddenly the eyes of high society turned to them. They'd had a better relationship with their mother for the short while in which they were merely the heiresses of the Black Family. He guessed that, after all of her anger toward them, what Druella had really hated her children for was that they were as flawed and limited as she was.

At the time Bellatrix had been more pliant and uncomplicated. She'd seemed to have accepted her lot early in life, true that she had been stubborn and difficult in what he suspected was long buried frustration, but at the least she would never have directly gone against their wishes.

And then a man had forced his way into the folds of their society who called himself Lord and claimed to be the only surviving descendant of Slytherin himself. He must have looked upon Bellatrix and known her anger at once, though Cygnus himself had not. Before his very eyes Voldemort had broken her from her quiet resignation so thoroughly and efficiently that it seemed to happen over night. She became a stranger to them, resentful and prone to rages and explosive fits of temper. By the time the one responsible came to them asking to spirit her away to become his student he agreed to part with her far more readily than any father should ever have with his own daughter. He was relieved to be rid of her and the havoc she wreaked on their once rather peaceful household.

How could he have fathomed that she would return with her very soul bent and warped to his will that she seemed quite unable to separate her identity from his twisted whims. If he hadn't been so absorbed in his own quiet, seething, anger at all of it he might have even felt a grudging respect for the man who appeared to have done the impossible and subverted the most willful girl in the world.

Cygnus shuddered to think how he had managed it. He was no fool, he knew there was only one way members of the opposite well and truly ruined one another, yet he never quite found the courage to ask and hear her confirm it. Even if he had Cygnus doubted he would have even been privy to the answer, his was not an authority she seemed to recognize anymore. She was a woman possessed and it made her as much a terror when she could fulfill that all consuming obsession as it rendered her this weak, miserable creature he was seeing now.

"Bella", Druella cautiously approached the bars that separated her from her mess of a child, "We have good news. The ministry has agreed to make a bargain, they'll let you go if you cooperate".

Bellatrix's gaunt face snapped toward them at that and the look she gave her mother spelled murder.

"No", she spat.

Druella faltered, "Please?", she implored, "all they want is information and you can come home".

"You want me to betray him? His secrets?", she breathed viciously.

An enraged shriek erupted from her throat and her bony hand struck the bars hard. Druella started violently at the sound and jerked backward as if she had been hit instead.

Cygnus placed a hand on her shoulder gently, "Go wait by the ship", he told her quietly.

Her lower lip trembled and she looked frantically between himself and their daughter, "But-".

"Go to the ship", he repeated, "I need to have a talk with our daughter".

She looked as though she wanted to say more but ultimately her respect for him won out and she retreated down the dank hall through which they had entered, her heels clicking rapidly on the wet stone.

Bellatrix was on her feet and breathing heavily, muttering to herself as if she does not even realize he is still there, "She wants me to tell them, little bitch" she hissed vehemently before breaking off into ranting under her breath so he cannot discern her words.

He moved toward her and that seemed to remind her of his presence, "Do you really think treating your mother in such a manner will bring him back?", he demanded coldly.

"As if you care", she retorted and her voice had gone from hysterical to wickedly calculating, "You're glad he's gone", her expression was resentful and accusing and she made it sound as if he has committed the most vile sort of crime.

"I'm glad he's _dead_", he amended.

She snarled and lunged at him and for a terrible moment he thought she might succeed as the metal began to warp beneath her clawed fingers. And then suddenly she halted and jerked away. Her eyes closed as she silently mouthed to herself, it looked as though she was reciting something she had told herself many times.

He shook his head, "Have you always had the power to get out?".

"Of course", she said as if it ought to be the most obvious thing in the world.

"Then why-?".

Her laughter cut through his words, "For him", she answered feverishly, her voice warmed by her own blind conviction. Revulsion churned in his stomach at the sound.

She must have finally noticed the blatant disgust on his face because she barred her teeth at him, "Don't judge me", she bit out, "And don't deny it, I can see it in your eyes! No one has the right to judge me. Not you. Not anybody".

He nodded slowly, "You're right", he agreed, "But you don't have the right to hurt your mother either and I don't intend to give you the opportunity again. This is the last you will see of us".

She smirked at him and leaned back against the wall behind her, "So this is what is has come to?", she drawled as if it weren't terribly consequential, "Threats".

"A promise", he tells her icily, "Arrogant, foolish child, rot here if you wish. But never forget where you come from or the lineage you have disgraced".

"It's a good thing that my blood is not what I cherish most, isn't it?", she replied airily.

He does not want to see anymore. The brightest hope of The Black Family has been reduced to a mad, raving, mess in a prison cell and there is nothing more to be done for them. Their future died with Bellatrix's sanity.

It took twenty years and now as he turned his back on his once beloved daughter he finally understood why Voldemort choose her. Like dominoes topple the leader and the rest will fall.

He destroyed her to destroy all of them.

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_**Please review.**_


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